'You only learn by failing' – Delaney backs Dortmund to push Bayern all the way

The Danish midfielder admitted he lacks the attacking skill of the Barcelona man ahead of their meetings with Spanish champions on Tuesday

Borussia Dortmund's Thomas Delaney has backed his side to learn from their mistakes in the 2018-19 season and push on from last term's disappointment of surrendering their Bundesliga lead to eventual champions Bayern Munich.

Dortmund had been leading the table for much of the campaign as a dreadful start under Niko Kovac saw the Bavarians drop well off the pace in the race for the German title.

The tables turned at a pivotal point in the season, however, with Bayern coming into form just as BVB hit a slump and the Allianz Arena side made the pressure count as they went on to secure their 28th Bundesliga crown.

Now though, a summer of change has brought fresh optimism to the Dortmund squad, with the acquisitions of Mats Hummels, Thorgan Hazard, Nico Schulz and Julian Brandt all adding additional quality to the side.

“We had moments [last] season where we didn't hit our level,” he said. “We had moments when we had a lot of pressure on us, and we didn't come through, and that's something we need to improve on.

“With the young players we have, we'll only get better, and you only learn by failing. In some regard, we did. You can't just train for big matches. You have to feel them, you have to make mistakes, You have to do great things in order to learn.

“When I arrived, the club had a plan. They wanted to improve and get back to the top of the table. They had a good team, but they had had a disappointing season before that.

“[The new signings] is just another sign that the management knows what they're doing and they're preparing, and I welcome that. There will always be competition, and that's only for the benefit of the team, so I see that as a major plus.

On whether Dortmund will push Bayern all the way, he added: “Of course. We want to stay up there. What matters most is a top-four finish, and then we'll see what happens. I have high hopes for us.

“We have the confidence, we have learned some lessons, we have improved with the new players, and even played together as a team more, so I'm very optimistic.”